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8m Bridgedeck Slamming

I sailed a Heavenly twins 27 to the UK from the Caribbean. On arrival at Falmouth I was extremely pleased to step ashore swearing never to sail on one again. The bridgedeck slammed almost constantly and almost drove me insane. At first glance the 8m Catalac appear to have a bit more clearance. Is the 8m afflicted with a similar condition?

Re: 8m Bridgedeck Slamming

I've never been on a Heavenly Twin but I do own and have sailed a fair amount lately in the 8m Catalac. It slams mainly in chop and into the wind. Far less slaming on larger waves with longer periods or with the wind.
It also slams more under motor than under sail, I have the outboard version.

That trip must have been an adventure!
Which way did you go and have you written about it at all?
I'd love to read about that story.

Re: 8m Bridgedeck Slamming

Originally Posted by yam_fzr

I've never been on a Heavenly Twin but I do own and have sailed a fair amount lately in the 8m Catalac. It slams mainly in chop and into the wind. Far less slamming on larger waves with longer periods or with the wind.
It also slams more under motor than under sail, I have the outboard version.

That trip must have been an adventure!
Which way did you go and have you written about it at all?
I'd love to read about that story.

Hi Yam, thanks for your reply. I bought the boat (Twin Lens) in Tortola, BVI. Had her shifted to a boat yard on Virgin Gorda where they carried out a shed load of work. I was single handed. Set sail in late June 08. 12 days to Bermuda. Spent a week there then 33 days to Falmouth. The weather was reasonably friendly (I'd picked the best time of year). A couple of gales and loads of squalls. Had several gear problems. Torn Genoa (36 hours stitching) Steering failure (Bodged back together but had to steer Stbd to go to Port and vice-versa), Had set off with 4 GPS's and 3 failed. The one I was left with just gave lat/long. My western approach chart had blown over the side. The only chart I was left with was the whole Atlantic. From that, I took the lat of The lizard and tried to keep below that. Autohelm failed 4 days out and had to hand steer the rest of the way. Became sleep deprived and stopped thinking straight. Didn't sleep for those four days. Falling over, hallucinating, hearing noises. Very weird, especially as I kept forgetting I had to steer in reverse. Spent the last night at sea beating towards the Wolf Rock lighthouse and back out again not gaining any ground in a gale on a moonless night waiting for dawn. Fortunately, just after dawn the wind eased and veered and allowed me to keep south of the Lizard. Fortunately, I knew the entrance to Falmouth and didn't need a chart.
Apart from that it was an uneventful textbook cruise :-)

And now I've written about it :-) I could turn it into a book I suppose. It would probably need to be titled 'How not to do it' or 'Don't do it my way'
I think the HT27 was built on the same hulls as the 26 but with more freeboard. My one had a 20hp engine with twin hydraulic drives. I think all this stuff made her too heavy and that is why the slamming was such a nuisance.
This photo was taken alongside the customs jetty in St Georges, Bermuda.